Surprising Reunion
by melodramatic cliches
Summary: Eli and Clare haven't talked since their breakup that night years ago, now they are both attending a joined Degrassi reunion, how will they act when a little person joins them together again? FUTURE FIC.


**A/N: This is just another one shot I came up with, some things had to be tweaked, but I had to bend some rules so this could work out. This is also a future!fic, so yeah haha. Please enjoy and review when you finish. **

**PS: This will all be in Clare's point of view in case you didn't know or catch on during the story. (:**

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><p>"Deep breaths, Clare. Its just a reunion. Just a five year reunion." said the twenty two year old with curly reddish brown hair and dazzling blue orbs as she calmed herself in her car.<p>

The young woman sighed and looked at her old alumni, she smiled sadly as she remembered fond memories at Degrassi Community School, she had participated in quite a lot and had some fun.

Well.. Some fun. Clare automatically corrected herself. She had fun in her grade nine and ten year, mostly because she spent her time with Eli and Adam.

_Eli._

Clare Edwards swallowed hard as she thought his name, a name that would occasionally come across her mind every once in a while, she sighed deeply as she remembered the last time he had seen him, it was at graduation day for him - Jake was graduating and Clare being the supportive girlfriend she was, she came to see Jake graduate, but she couldn't help, but watch Eli get his diploma as well.

_Clare wrapped her arms around her frame as she looked around the bleachers, seeing friends and family supporting the class of 2012 graduates, Clare smiled as she saw some parents and friend she'd recognized, being Jake's girlfriend had been giving Clare an immense boost in her popularity role and now it seemed as if she knew everyone at Degrassi, it was such a step up from a shy wallflower, a huge step up, Clare might add._

"_Bianca DeSousa." Mr. Simpson said clearly and loudly through the microphone, it surprised Clare to see that Bianca of all people had graduated, but Clare was on good terms with Bianca since she had spent some time with her while Jake and Drew would talk about sports together, a budding friendship between those two._

_As Mr. Simpson drone through some more names Clare didn't exactly care for, knowing Jake's name wouldn't turn up for a while considering they were at the beginning of the alphabet still, but Clare's eyes scanned the crowd of blue and gold caps and gowns. _

_You couldn't really see who was who until they walked up to accept their diploma and have their tassel moved to the opposite side. Clare sighed from mere boredom of sitting on the bleachers for the past two hours and looked around at her right to see Cece and Bullfrog sitting next to each other as they talked in hushed voices, smiles on their aging faces._

_Clare hadn't seen them in ages considering she doesn't speak to Eli anymore, she had tried many times to speak with him - to make things right and not so awkward between them, but to no avail, Eli wouldn't talk to her, he'd simply walk away whenever Alli or Jake would stop by Clare, he was unemotional for the most part of last year, then Clare had remembered how he was becoming the old Eli again, she'd seen him reading comics with Adam and some girl she had no clue who she was to be honest, maybe she was a new student to Clare? She had her thin brown hair in high pigtails, wrapped around on top of her head with barrettes in her hair, she wore huge glasses and some ridiculous jewelry over her red polo, showing she was a junior and one of Eli's friends. _

_Clare soon learned her name was Imogen Moreno, the only way Clare learned her name was when Fiona was buzzing about Eli finally getting a new girlfriend at the beginning of his senior year and when Clare had asked who, Fiona immediately said Imogen - showing disgust on her face from it and automatically Clare didn't wanna know anything more, instead Clare showed more affection towards Jake in public, especially whenever Eli was around, but Eli was always so affectionate with Imogen, or Imogen was affectionate with him, always intertwining their hands, she'd always rest her head on his shoulder, or she'd snake her arm around his waist, causing him to place a arm around her shoulders._

_Clare didn't wanna admit that, but.. She was jealous of Imogen Moreno, she was jealous Imogen was able to do what Clare had been missing for a good year, but it was too late by then, Clare was with Jake and Eli was with Imogen._

_Both had moved on.. Or so Clare thought._

"_Elijah Goldsworthy." Mr. Simpson rang through the microphone and Clare could hear Cece and Bullfrog's shouts, whistling and cheering towards their only child as he climbed the stairs, his tassel constantly getting in his face much to his annoyance, soon the diploma was in Eli's hands and his tassel was moved and Eli took a stand next to the girl who was called before him._

_Just like that - Eli was a high school graduate, Clare had realized that she'd no longer see him in English or at lunch, she'd never see him leaning against lockers or on the Zen garden reading comics with Adam and Imogen and he wouldn't be striding through the halls either, not with Adam on his left side and Imogen on his arm._

_Clare Edwards would never see Eli again after this, it was so obvious, this was the last time she'd see him before he probably takes off for some amazing college with a great literature majors and classes, something he dreamed of doing - being a collage professor and he'd eventually get there._

_Although now, Clare focused her attention on Eli's appearance, taking in his looks since this is the last time of seeing him. _

_His hair was slightly messy from the cap, but nonetheless, he still looked handsome, his plump lips in a smirk that touched his jade green orbs, orbs Clare loved dearly and still finds them his best trait. As he stood there awkwardly, Clare sighed and smiled gently, she sort of hoped he'd look over, but that would ruin everything, if he saw her at his own graduation, to see her standing there with a stupid grin on her face, it'd ruin his whole night and Clare had already ruined plenty of nights for him, she wouldn't dare ruin anymore._

_Soon Clare was elbowed in her ribs and she looked to see that Glen was clapping enthusiastically and Clare quickly joined in, figuring Jake's name had been called and Clare was right. She watched as he stood by a boy who's name was Mo, Clare believed. Clare had basically missed her boyfriend getting his diploma all because she was too busy thinking of Eli. _

_He was always in her thoughts and it bothered her badly, bothered her how he was always there. _

"_Imogen Moreno." Mr. Simpson declared clearly and Imogen skipped up the steps, her pigtails bouncing with every step as she plucked her diploma from Mr. Simpson's hand before shaking his, having a beaming smile on her face, although instead of standing next to Jake, Imogen skipped straight to Eli, he opened his arms wide and had a smirk on his face that Clare still adored as Imogen hopped into his arms and she threw her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist as he spun her around as she giggled freely._

_There were some awes heard throughout the audience and Clare could only feel a pang in her chest as it had hit her once more that this was her last memory of Eli Goldsworthy, him spinning his girlfriend around on their graduation day as they start their lives together as Clare had thought._

"_Ladies and Gentleman. I give you, class of 2012!" Mr. Simpson said happily as the graduation march rang louder through the speakers and soon all the students began clapping and cheering as they pulled their graduation caps off their heads and threw it in the air, or in Jake's case as Clare noted, he threw his on the ground and Clare also looked back to see that Eli still had his cap on his head, although Imogen plucked it off his head and threw it as she kissed him enthusiastically as the march began to die down and students sobs were heard as they finally realized this was it._

_This __**was **__it, especially for Clare, all she had now was Alli and that was it, she had lost Adam throughout her messy breakup with Eli and now with Jake leaving for college in California, she was truly alone at Degrassi it seemed. _

Present day, Clare sighed and unbuckled her seat belt, she had to be here for the reunion, she had heard that they were combining both classes of 2012 and 2013 in this one reunion which upsets Clare since she wasn't looking forward to seeing Eli _or _Jake here. She hoped neither of them would come, it would just make her even feel worse if she saw Jake with a new woman - which he probably was it and then to see Eli?

Clare still wondered if he was with Imogen still and she felt a tremor roll through her, he probably was, knowing Imogen just by how she was around Eli in high school, she's probably still latched onto him like a baby is to a mother's hip.

Clare's cell phone quickly buzzed, startled, Clare grabbed her phone and looked at the name on her phone.

**Alli Bhandari sent you a text message.**

Sighing, Clare opened her best friend's text message.

**Alli: hey were r u? ur late. **

**Clare: I'm outside. I'll be inside soon.**

**Alli: good. (: oh and just giving u a heads up jake is here.**

**Clare: Great. :/ **

**Alli: and hes with Katie. :/ **

**Clare: Matlin? He's with Katie Matlin?**

**Alli: yup. I will make sure they wont bother u tonite clare.**

**Clare: Thanks Alli. :] I really appreciate that after everything that happened with Jake and our divorce.. It wouldn't be best to see him or talk to him especially if he's with Katie Matlin who we both know hated me..**

**Alli: don't worry clare. U will have fun I promise c: now hurry up and get inside so we can dance and find u a new man!**

**Clare: A new man? Yeah.. No thanks, Alli.**

**Alli: aw! Y not?**

**Clare: Not too keen on relationships anymore, thanks very much. Although I will dance with you, haha.**

**Alli: of course. Everyone wants 2 dance with alli bhandari ^.^**

**Clare: Soon to be Alli Turner might I add. (: **

**Alli: just get inside clare bear. -_- **

Clare giggled as she thoroughly embarrassed her best friend by bringing up Alli and Dave's engagement which Alli had gushed to her about last night on the phone and Clare was sure Alli was gonna rub it in Sadie Rowland's face whenever she see's her around town or anyone else here at the reunion.

As Clare stepped out of her car, she heard the sound of a child's laughter somewhere nearby and she whipped her head around seeing if a child _was_ out here, it was after dark and Clare has always had a place in her heart for children.

Maybe someone is taking them to the daycare here while they go to the reunion, Clare thought as she slammed her car door closed and quickly locked the car, if Clare was afraid of anything, it was if someone broke into he car and took her belongings.

Clare sighed heavily as she climbed the steps to Degrassi, she'll admit, she missed her old high school, she missed the days where she'd hop off the bus and Alli was waiting for her, or she'd miss the days when the bus was no longer an option for her and when she was with Eli, he'd pick her up and drop her off all the time.

A dull ache was in Clare's chest as she thought of Eli, remembering how he was so keen on having her picked up and dropped off all the time, even though Eli never said it himself, Clare knew the reason he did this with her was because of Julia, he also did it with Imogen when he was dating her, which made Clare again feel a dull ache in her chest.

It was crazy how she still missed Eli Goldsworthy after all these years, maybe she just missed his witty banter, his sarcastic comments, his adorable smirk.

All the things that would make, Eli.. Well Eli.

Clare shook her head disapprovingly at herself as she opened the double wide doors to the main hall at Degrassi, Clare no longer needed to worry about Eli and how things were with him, she left his life and he left hers, she married Jake, sure that marriage crumbled and sure Clare was still a bit bitter from the divorce despite it happened a couple years ago, Clare just hated divorce, simple as that.

Although Clare's mind had flashed back to a moment she spent with Eli years ago.

_Clare leaned into Eli's chest, her face sideways on his rising and falling chest as he wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tighter to him. _

"_Eli?" Clare whispered as she reached out to grab his free hand as she began to play with the many rings on his fingers, especially his thumb ring which had a disturbing skull on it._

"_Yes?" Eli answered back as he moved his hand to her hair and began running his long lanky fingers through her reddish brown curls and Clare almost moaned at the feeling of his fingers against her scalp, she loved when he did this to her, it felt amazing to feel his fingers massage her scalp, he could do this for hours, for as long as she'd like. Although when Clare didn't ask Eli the question she was hoping to ask him, Eli being Eli began to worry. "You're tense.. Are you okay?" murmured Eli as began to tuck a piece of a curl behind my ear._

"_Yes.. And no." Clare replied with softly and soon Elli positioned her to where she was off his lap and was sitting next to him and he looked at her concerned._

"_What's wrong?" Eli asked as he continued to search Clare's` face for some discomfort or that Clare was hiding some sickness, it was how Eli was, always worrying over Clare, and when he wasn't doing that, he was worrying over his family or Adam. _

"_Do you think I'll ever get a divorce when I'm older?" Clare whispered and Eli sighed heavily at Clare's question._

"_I can't predict the future, Clare, but whoever you marry in the future will be a lucky guy, he'd be stupid to ever divorce you, so.. No. You won't be like your parents, you'll be happy in whatever marriage you have in the future." Eli answered with a small smile on his face._

_Clare nodded to Eli's words, not sure if they were even true, Clare had no idea who she was going to marry as a adult, would it be some college boy? Some man at an office she'll work at when she's older? Or would it be with Eli? As Clare looked up at Eli, she noticed how he was staring at her intently with his jade green eyes, as if he could read her every emotion, which he probably could._

"_Alright." Clare murmured as she leaned sideways into her couch and Eli mimicked the same, so they were staring at each other, soon Clare felt Eli grasp her hand in his rather huge hand and interlace their fingers._

"_And if you ever get divorced - which you won't, I'm just saying, it will be that guy's personal loss to lose someone like you as a wife." Eli said softly as he stroked the back of her hand gently. _

"_If you ever married me.. would you divorce me?" Clare whispered and immediately she regretted her words as she saw shock spread across Eli's face from her question and soon Clare's cheeks were flaming with a blush._

_Although soon Eli regained his composure and gave Clare his signature smirk before murmuring,_

"_I'd __**never **__divorce you, Clare. If anything, I'd spend our whole marriage wondering why you would even accept my proposal, that you would vow to be with me forever, I'd cherish that and be happy, I'd be the luckiest bastard in the world to have someone like you. Even though we'll probably never get married since there are a million better guys than me out there - its always nice to dream about it." _

Clare smiled a bit at the fond memory of her and Eli talking of divorce and Clare wondered if he was married now, had a wife, maybe a kid? Was he happy? He should be, him being a father would be the greatest thing for Clare to see, even if his child wouldn't be theirs..

Oh what was Clare even thinking! She shouldn't be thinking like this, it has been years since the nasty breakup and Clare doesn't need that, she's here at the dance to have some fun, to dance with Alli, to maybe dance with someone else? Clare had no idea, she just needed some fun to get her mind off of things, like a ex boyfriend and her bare ring finger.

As Clare looked around the foyer, a million different memories came back to her, memories of hanging out with Alli or Adam. Memories of holding KC's hand, Eli's hand, Jake's hand.. So many different memories.

Soon Clare saw the sign in table with name stickers, Clare wondered if she would even need one, would people have remembered her by now? Clare signed in, placing a check by her name and then as she moved forward to grab her name sticker which said **Clare Edwards**, she felt someone bump into her, or might Clare say, a small child bump into her.

Clare whirled around to see at her surprise a little girl about four years old, with long thick dark brown hair, a rather pale complexion, she had plump lips, she was wearing blue jeans, pink converse, and Clare couldn't see what she was wearing underneath her thick brown sweater, but she saw the glint of a heart shaped pendent around the little girls neck, she wore no piercings on her ears, she had nothing special done with her hair, it was rather messy, probably from the wind, Clare concluded, just when Clare was gonna ask who the little girl's name was, she noticed the little girl's jade green orbs.

_Her eyes were just like Eli's._

Clare took a shaky breath, this child.. No, it couldn't be Eli's, Clare was just seeing things, but the little girl giggled and Clare was snapped from her trance.

"What's your name?" Clare asked softly and surprisingly the little girl's plump lips curled into a smirk - the same smirk Clare still loved after all these years.

"Emmy." The little girl - Emmy said with a clear smirk on her face still. "What's your name?" Emmy asked as she pointed to Clare and Clare smiled.

"I'm Clare. Nice to meet you, Emmy." Clare said and Emmy nodded around with her words. "Why are you here, Emmy? Are you lost? Do you need to find your mommy or daddy?" Clare asked Emmy, figuring the girl had escaped from the Degrassi daycare which was open right now since the reunion had already begun.

Emmy shook her head as her hair whipped around her face.

"Nope!" Emmy said, popping the 'p'. "My daddy is somewhere around here, I ran off." Emmy stated and just as Clare was about to ask Emmy who her father was, Clare heard a voice she hadn't heard in years.

"Emerson!"

Clare looked up to see no one, but Eli Goldsworthy in the flesh and blood, frustration and relief was in his face as he began rushing towards them and Emmy had a hit of regret in her small features. Clare took the time to notice how Eli still somewhat looked the same after all these years, his hair was not as dark as it was before, a bit lighter, he was wearing a black suit with a white tie, yet he wore no rings on his fingers, no guitar pick necklace around his neck, he was a older Eli that dressed more professionally.

"Hi daddy.." Emmy said softly, knowing she was about to get in trouble by Eli, but then it hit, Clare.

Emmy was Eli's daughter, it was all so clear when she saw Eli scoop Emmy into his arms and hold her close to his chest as relief entered his features as he realized his baby was alright, the way he held her and softly kissed her temple, it was obvious this little girl belonged to Eli, that and the fact Emmy was the female version of Eli, with those unmistakable green orbs, Emmy was a Goldsworthy.

"Daddy, I'm okay." Emmy murmured as Eli began to check her features and make sure she was alright, concern overwhelming his face, and suddenly Clare felt out of place here, she didn't belong here watching Eli check his daughter for injuries, Clare didn't know where she was suppose to be to be honest.

"I know you are, but I was just checking. Don't you **ever **do that to me again Emerson. Never. You scared daddy." Eli scolded Emmy and she nodded at his words and soon Emmy looked back to Clare and softly smiled.

"Daddy, this is my new friend, her name is Clare." Emmy said happily and soon Eli's face fell as he looked at Clare for the first time in years and Clare looked back at him, wondering what she was suppose to do now that Emmy had told Eli about Clare being there.

"Clare?" Eli asked wondrously and Clare pursed her lips and nodded.

"The one and only." Clare said and Eli sighed for a bit, setting Emmy back down on the ground, but firmly grasped her hand so she wouldn't run off.

"You're here for the reunion?" Eli questioned and Clare nodded.

"Yeah.. It is classes of 2012 and 2013 here.. Alli dragged me along. She's somewhere inside." Clare told Eli as she gestured towards the front doors and Eli nodded.

"Oh yeah.. Well I'll let you have some fun. I need to drop Emmy off at this daycare anyway.. Maybe we'll see each other inside?" Eli offered and Clare sighed and merely shrugged.

"Maybe." Clare simply said as she grabbed her name tag, stuck it on her sweater before giving Eli and Emmy a small smile as she started walking off towards the double doors that led to the gym, leaving Eli and Emmy behind in the foyer.

…

"And then I was like, you cannot come near Clare! And she was like, you are not the boss of me Alli! And I was like, just stay away from Clare and then Jake dragged her away and ugh! I hate Katie just as much as I hated her in high school, she's still a b with a side order of itch." Alli Bhandari droned on as she sat next to her best friend Clare during the reunion, Clare sighed heavily as she began trifling through her purse and Alli raised an eyebrow at her best friend.

"What are you doing?" Alli questioned and Clare looked at her best friend before pulling her car keys from her purse.

"Going home early." Clare muttered and she stood up and draped her bag over her shoulder, but Alli grabbed her elbow and pulled her down into her seat next to Alli.

"Clare, no, you never go out and do fun things anymore, this time you are." Alli said through clenched teeth, but Clare pulled her arm away from Alli's grasp.

"I understand that you want me to have fun, but I don't like fun anymore, Alli. Have fun with Dave or something. I'm just gonna sit there and be boring. Might as well get home." Clare murmured as she began to walk away from Alli, ignoring her friend calling out to her, asking for her to come back, but Clare knew there was no reason to go back there, not when she'd watch Jake dancing with Katie or watch Eli turn up and probably be with Imogen, she hadn't taken her time to see if there was a ring on his finger to begin with.

But just as Clare was about to head through the double doors, she felt herself slip on some liquid - probably juice or alcohol and she was on her way to the ground, but someone had caught her, but that didn't stop her ankle from twisting, causing pain to shoot down Clare's leg and foot.

"Ah, crap." Clare groaned, not even acknowledging the person who had caught her. "This is great." Clare added, more annoyingly and the person who held her chuckled and she recognized the chuckle immediately.

"You're still a klutz after all these years? Amusing." Eli said lowly and immediately Clare felt her cheeks redden as she realized Eli was the one to catch her.

"Just let me go. I wanna go home." Clare scowled as she try to free herself from Eli's grip on her, but she could only feel the pain in her ankle intense and she hissed from the pain.

Eli frowned as he looked down at his ex girlfriend in his arms, not sure why he had caught her, possibly because he didn't want her to fall, but she had managed to hurt herself by tumbling down anyway.

Plus it wasn't helping that Clare was in strappy heels anyway.

"Yeah, like you could drive on that ankle. I'll take you home." Eli said with a scoff as he snaked his arm around Clare's back, causing her to flinch slightly, but he slowly helped her as she limped out of the gym.

Clare was annoyed with the fact Eli was dragging her away, but she didn't have much of a choice did she? Her ankle was possibly either twisted or broken, all she knew was that she heard a snap, so she was sure she broke it, but still, Eli of all people came to her rescue which caused Clare to blush even more.

"Just let me sit down for a bit." Clare grunted as she looked at the bench by the front doors of Degrassi and Eli nodded, carefully leading her to the black bench, Clare sighed heavily as she sat down, the pain in her ankle reducing slightly, but hurt nonetheless.

Eli took a seat next to her and let out a huge breath of air.

"How does your ankle feel?" Eli questioned as he gestured down to her slightly swollen ankle which was still in her strappy heel and Clare sighed.

"Feels pretty crummy." Clare groaned and Eli snorted.

"Only you would say the word, crummy." Then Eli looked back down at her swollen ankle. "Let me at least see it." Eli urged Clare on and she immediately shook her head.

"No. I just wanna go home." Clare said as she crossed her arms across her chest as Eli sighed heavily.

"I will take you home when you show me your ankle first. I won't hurt you, Clare. Emmy has hurt her ankle plenty of times, I'm gentle with that stuff." Eli said awkwardly as he mentioned Emmy's name and automatically Clare wanted to drop a ton of questions on Eli about Emmy, like how old was she? Did she have any brothers or sisters? Is her mother in the picture? Who is her mother?

Clare sighed as she glanced down at her heel clad foot and adjusted herself to where she was leaning against the arm rest of the bench and her bare leg was across Eli's lap, as was her heel clad foot. Eli swallowed as his eyes scanned her legs and Clare could only imagine what was going through his mind.

Clare always remembered Eli being a perverted sixteen year old when he wanted to be, then at times, he'd tone that down and respect Clare's feminine side as much as he wanted to be in her pants.

But soon Clare felt Eli's gentle hands on her ankle and only on her ankle as she felt him slowly undo the straps carefully, not hurting Clare whatsoever as he slowly slipped the heel off her foot and placed it on the ground and he gently held her foot and grazed his calloused fingertips across her swollen skin which was bright red and starting to grow bigger.

"I think you broke it. Emmy's never get this big, she only sprains them - pretty sure you broke it." Eli said with a bit of a frown and Clare sighed heavily.

"Great. A broken ankle. Could this night get any worse?" Clare grumbled as she looked at Eli and he smirked.

"It can't be that bad, if you want me to, I'll drive you to the hospital and you can get a cast on your foot and it won't hurt that much." Eli offered and Clare shook her head.

"No. I can't have a cast.. They.. It wouldn't look right on me." Clare stammered and Eli's smirk grew wider.

"My foot cast didn't look so great on me in high school, but I pulled through with it, even decorated it a bit, made it more like.. Me." Eli said with a laugh, though quickly stopped and his face fell as he recalled on that night he had broken his foot. All for Clare.

Surely, Clare was remembering it as well.

"So.. How have you been?" Clare asked softly as Eli set her foot down on his lap, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"I've been.. Good." Eli said slowly and soon Clare was feeling uncomfortable, what was she even doing here? There was no reason for her to be here at all. Clare carefully brought her foot down from Eli's lap and grabbed her strappy heel and he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"What are you doing?" Eli asked as Clare tried to put her heel on despite the increasing pain in her foot.

"Putting my heel on and leaving." Clare said hastily as she jammed her foot into her heel, feeling even more pain as she winced, but soon tried to hook the straps on her heel.

Eli sighed and placed a hand on Clare's arm.

"Stop. You're just gonna make it worse. Take the shoe off and I'll take you home or to the hospital. All I know is, you're not driving by yourself or walking home for that matter." Eli said sternly and this time Clare sighed as she looked at Eli under her curly bangs.

"What about your daughter? And my car, who will take that home?" Clare questioned Eli and he pondered for a bit before pulling his phone from his pocket.

"Who are you calling?" Clare asked and Eli put the phone to his ear before whispering.

"Adam."

Clare felt another pang rip through her chest as she remembered Adam, she hadn't talked to Adam in years and was hoping to see him here, she was hoping to see him and say hi, or hello, see how Adam was doing, because lets face it, Clare was close to Adam, she helped him conquer some demons in his life and for them to drift apart like that hurt Clare - hurt her a lot.

"Hey dude." Eli said into the phone receiver, and Clare decided that it was best not to intrude on the conversation, but to instead try to get her heel off, which was horribly hard to do, but soon she felt Eli place a hand on leg and pull her foot back into his lap as he took the phone away from his ear and put it on speaker and soon Clare heard Adam Torres speak.

"Why are you calling me dude? I was about to dance with, Fi." Adam said happily into the line and Clare smiled at the thought of Adam and Fiona still being together - happily together.

Eli scoffed as he began to carefully take the heel off Clare's foot with suddenly soft fingers grazing at her ankle.

"I'm in sort of a crisis situation, bro. I'm gonna need you and Fi to take Emmy home with you once you're ready to leave the reunion." Eli said as he slowly took the heel off of Clare's foot and she sighed heavily at the pain residing, making Eli smile a bit.

"Woah, why dude? You alright?" Adam asked, this time he sounded suddenly alarmed which was odd to hear in Adam's voice.

"Eh, well, this is awkward, but, I ran into Clare here and I'm pretty sure she broke her ankle so.. Looks like I'll be taking her home and all." Eli said nervously as he cleared his throat. "So I need you to pick up my girl, and can she spend the night with you guys? I'll probably be taking Clare to the emergency room and we'll be back pretty late and it'd be hard to be with Emmy and Clare at the same time." Eli said and Clare smiled warmly as he called Emmy his 'girl', Clare _did _wanna know who Emmy's mother was, she could ask Eli, it wouldn't be a bad question.. Would it?

"Damn! Clare Edwards? The same girl you're still in love with?" Adam surprisingly questioned Eli and Clare noticed as Eli's face gained heat from Adam's proclamation and even Clare's own face gained a blush.

"Adam. I'm on speaker phone and she's right here." Eli said through clenched teeth and suddenly their was an awkward silence.

"Oh.. Sorry about that. Hi Clare!" Adam said happily through the phone and Clare sighed a breath of relief as Adam was being friendly with her.

"Hi, Adam." Clare breathed out and quickly Eli grabbed his phone and put it off speaker much to Clare's displeasure.

"I took it off speaker - what do you mean put it back on speaker? If you wanna talk to Clare so bad, you'll have to get her number later, Adam - Now? No, dude, she's hurt and needs to be taken to the ER. No I do not want her to myself! You're so idiotic." Eli said annoyingly in broken sentences and Clare bit on her tongue to prevent laughter.

"Yes. Just take Emmy home and if she doesn't go to sleep just give her a bottle of milk and she'll go straight to sleep - Ugh, dude, I know Fiona researched about what age kids should stop drinking milk from bottles, but it's the only thing that'll help her sleep anymore and sometimes I need sleep too dude - If Emmy won't sleep without talking to me, then call me and I'll talk to her before she goes to sleep, I know how she can get if plans change and she's forced to go with the Torres-Coyne clan - Yes, Adam, I know she loves you very much, just remember to pick her up okay? Okay, thanks bro." Eli finally hung up on his phone and looked at Clare shyly.

"Sorry about that. I just needed Adam to pick Emmy up." Eli said as he stuffed his phone into his pocket and Clare nodded, understanding.

"Its alright, Eli. I understand. You're just worried about Emmy's safety. No biggie." Clare said and Eli nodded as he began to carefully set Clare's foot down on the ground.

"She.. She means a lot to me. She's my daughter you know? I love her and I'd basically die if something happened to her." Eli said seriously and again Clare nodded,

"Which was why you freaked out when Emmy ran off?" Clare questioned and Eli nodded as he rose his head. "How old is she?" Clare asked softly and Eli slowly smiled.

"She's four, she's going to be five in July. Then she'll be in kindergarten this year and.. Its freaking crazy. I'll have to work something out so I can be able to pick her up from school or have someone do it." Eli said and Clare noticed how he was beginning to break out in a sweat and she automatically felt sorry for him, she wished there was something she could do.

"Can't her mother pick her up?" Clare asked and she immediately regretted it when she saw Eli's face fall from Clare's question, but he answered nonetheless.

"Her mother isn't in the picture anymore. She.. I broke up with her mother when Emmy was barely a year old and got full custody." Eli explained briefly and Clare sighed.

"I'm sorry about that, Eli. You don't have to tell me anymore." Clare said and Eli shrugged.

"I wasn't exactly planning on telling you either. But its whatever really. I have Emmy, I have Adam, I have Fiona, I have my parents. I'm alright." Eli said simply as he stood up and reached his hand out to Clare. "I believe I have to take you to an emergency room?" Eli inquired and Clare softly smiled as she nervously took his hand, although when she put the weight on her ankle, she began to fall and Eli quickly caught her.

"Woah, easy there. I'll just carry you, its simpler." Eli grunted as he locked his arms behind her back and under her knees as he began walking out the front doors.

Clare felt the breeze hit her face and she scrunched her face up, she then saw her car and sighed.

"Who's gonna take my car home?" Clare asked quietly.

"I'll take it home after the hospital trip and I get you back home safely. That's if you trust me with your car keys?" Eli questioned with a smirk and Clare snorted.

"I'm allowing you to carry me, I believe I can trust you with car keys." Clare said and Eli laughed, a laugh she missed dearly.

Clare had no idea the night would turn out like this, but surprisingly it did, here she was in Eli Goldsworthy's arms as he was planning to get her ankle in a cast and have her home safely.

He hadn't changed a bit.

…

Clare awoken the next day in her soft satin sheets, she didn't wanna move nor open her eyes to the beaming light, but she knew she would have too.

As Clare sat up in her bed, her ankle throbbed lightly and she groaned as she ran a free hand through her curls, feeling them knot between her fingers.

Although something caught Clare's eye, a piece of paper next to her on her bed, confused, Clare opened the letter and began reading.

_Dear Clare,_

_I wasn't gonna leave without leaving you a letter now was I? After we got home from the hospital and the doctor put a cast on your foot, you fell asleep, needless to say, I took you home after Adam managed to get the details about your address from Alli who was surprisingly happy to give out your address. Anyway, I just thought I'd leave you this letter saying thanks for letting me take care of you and for also being sweet to Emmy, I liked that. Just in case you want it, this is my phone number 948-1273. Call me or text me if you need any help.. Or if you just wanna talk. I'm fine with either. _

_Sincerely, Eli._

_PS: Look outside your window. _

Clare smiled warmly at Eli's letter and soon scrambled from bed despite the pain in her foot and hurried to her nearest window and her smile grew even more.

Outside her apartment was her car.

So he had remembered, Clare thought happily as she limped back to her bed and sighed against her pillows as she simply began to prop her foot up on some pillows and saw her cast had only one signature and it said "Once a klutz, always a klutz." and Clare snorted as she leaned against her pillows, remembering last night fondly.

Taking a deep breath, Clare grabbed her phone and the letter and typed in Eli's number, pressing call, she brought the phone to her ear and she bit her lip nervously - she hoped he'd answer.

He did on the first ring.

"Edwards?""Goldsworthy?"

There was a small bout of silence except for a child's laughter in the back of the other line.

"I knew you'd call."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This sort of sucks, but welp. Anyway! I have bad news, I will not be updating frequently :c I know. Sad. I have school in a couple days and I'll be in a creative writing class so a lot of work, I'll try to squeeze in some fanfics though! Please review!**


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